All I can hear is my cousin telling me how college is going to be the best four years of my life. I didn’t believe him. Two months in I was lonely. Struggling to find my people. On the brink of being depressed. The one thing in my life that was bringing me joy was looking forward to going to the Kernodle Center every day to do my job. People really listened to me there and I always had Nicole’s shoulder to cry on. All I wanted to have was a solid friend group. I kept on going on lunch dates with people I would meet in the hopes that we would click but it never really worked. I was still determined to put myself out there. I was patiently waiting to rush a sorority but it didn’t turn out as planned and could not handle the responsibilities. I was ready to transfer to Marist. Then my parents paid for me to go to Disney World for a spring break class. I met Julia. She was my first real, genuine friend. She wanted to be my friend as bad as I wanted to be hers. She invited me out to places and I felt so included. I finally had someone to party with. Julia helped me realize how important relationships are and that they are a two-way street. Then at the end of freshman year I took a chance and went up to Taylor in the dining hall because I knew that if I didn’t I would never see her again. 

Sophomore year came and this would be the test to see if I was going to stay at Elon. I took a chance and went random and it finally paid off. I had Nicole as a roommate and Abby as a suitemate. Abby and Nicole were the light in my Elon experience that I needed. They appreciated my craziness and my kindness. Nicole taught me the importance of working really hard and to challenge myself. At this point, I knew that Public Relations was for me. Professor Doorley told me I should consider applying to PRWeek Student Competition and so I did and I received an award for being in the top 5 in the country. This is really what made me a competitive candidate when I applied for internships. On the other hand, Abby taught me how important it is to let loose. We were the three musketeers. I also started getting closer to Taylor, Erin and Kaylie and would often spend my Saturday’s pregaming with y’all. I also joined Kappa Delta. I knew I wanted to be part of this organization because they stressed the power of confidence and that is something that I had and wanted to share it with my sisters. Although I wasn’t as involved as I hoped I really met some amazing girls that I will always be friends forever.

Junior year, I took a chance and lived with Anna and Pam. Really a kickass living situation. We were constantly partying that whole semester. We were wild. This was the first semester that my parents never visited. That is how good it was. I really came out of my shell and formed great relationships with the boys in Pikap. I was thriving so much that I almost considered not going abroad. But thank god I did. Florence brought the greatest group of people together and is what really made the experience so special to me. I had a great apartment and loved hosting our Duomo parties.  Hospitable right? Seems fitting. Getting my internship at Hilton was the icing on top. After spending two years acquiring amazing internships with the help of Danielle and Amber I finally got my dream internship that ended in an offer.

Now we are in senior year. I was going to be under the same roof with some of my closest friends who I would only be getting closer to. This year was unimaginable. Of course, I wish we met sooner but I have to remember that all my hardships led me to where I am. Being a part of Mill Point 451 and being in the 'Bestest Friends' group was the crew that I needed. I have people within our community who I can cry with. Laugh with. Get drunk with and be me. That is all I ever wanted and I finally found it. 

This year I really learned the importance of making the most of every moment. Never stay in. Take advantage of every night. And spend time with those who deserve your attention. Friendships will always be important to me and nothing will ever change that. 

In my Elon 101 class freshman year our TA shared this story with me that I always had on the back of my mind which really shaped my college experience. She told me that one day her friend was crying but she had an upcoming exam and she shared that she decided to not study and to help her friend. My TA failed the exam. But that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that her friend was okay.  That is who I wanted to be for the next four years and I feel like it's safe to say that I would do anything for any of my friends. 

Now, looking back. College was not the best four years of my life but it was the most exciting roller coaster I have been on.

This past fall break I traveled to San Diego for the PRSSA International Conference. It was a fortunate opportunity to be able to travel there all expenses paid by Elon.  I traveled with two other girls who I really did not know but we had ourselves a time. Our personalities really meshed together well.

Thursday, October 19 

We left Elon at 3:00 and headed to RDU Airport. Around 10 a.m. we landed in San Diego. As we were approaching the landing the pilot quickly started to go back up in the air. It was very scary for two minutes until the pilot went on the loudspeaker to announce that he approached the landing wrong. Once we finally landed, we ubered to the Grand Hyatt Hotel. We immediately were ready to take on the city. I came in with prior research per usual but also asked the front desk people for recommendations. The first stop was Puesto. We had delicious tacos, salsa and chips! Our waitress was amazing. We got to talking and the next thing we know we had a free corn dip at our table. We also asked for her recommendations and she told us her friend would give us free wine at the Hotel del Coronado. Like what! Of course, the Hotel was on our list of things to do so we went there for dinner! 

After lunch, we walk around the nearby area around the Seaport Village. We saw the famous Kissing Sailor Statue. After we headed back to the hotel to get our room and shortly headed over to Little Italy. We paid about 5 dollars round trip on the trolly. We enjoyed ice cream at Salt and Straws and just started talking with people on the street. We met a guy around our age who dropped out of college to live in a van in San Diego working for a nonprofit. What a vibe and a story! After walking around Little Italy we made our way back to the hotel to then make our way to the Hotel del Coronado to eat there. We took the ferry over and then ubered to the hotel. It was really beautiful and worth it! We spoke with the bartender who was awesome and gave us the hookup for free wine and a burrata appetizer. 

Friday, October 20

We woke up and headed to La Jolla. We ate brunch at Cody's La Jolla which was beyond delicious and then we headed to see the sea lions. So well worth it. They were so close to us! After walking along the cove we then ubered to Pacific Beach to walk around and ride bikes along the beach and the bay. Definitely worth renting bikes. The area almost reminded me of Long Beach, NY. Then we made our way back to the hotel to start the conference! 

Saturday, October 19

We spent the majority of the day at the conference. Here are some bigger takeaways I received: 

• “The best way to predict the future is to create it” -Kaye Sweetser
• Understanding of the Communications and Public Affairs department at Disney World 
• Importance of internal comradery for new and exciting things happening within the company
• “What’s not teachable is attitude”
•  “Impressions and stats don’t pay the bills” - President of Nebo

On Saturday night, Vanessa, our new friend, and Olivia and I headed to the Gaslamp Quarter for dinner. I ended up getting a free dinner which was exciting but it also had hair in it. The District was within walking distance from the hotel. There were a ton of restaurants and bars. It was really a move. After our free dinner, we got ice cream at Ghiradelli! 

Sunday, October 20

Key takeaways from Erika Prime, Taco Bells’ Social and Digital Marketing session:

• When it comes to social media, it is oversaturated and you are competing with culture, not competitors 
• Need to have different content for each channel 
• When it comes to influencers, just provide the free opportunity and see if they will share content 

After the conference, we spent time by the pool and then ate dinner at Harbour House with our Elon advisor for PRSSA. It was a great opportunity to hear about her experiences. Then we headed back to the hotel and Olivia shared her insights on astrology with us! 

Monday, October 21

We woke up at 6:15 am to eat at the Seaview Restaurant in the Hyatt for breakfast. They offered a $21 and $28 buffet. We ended up doing al a cart for it to be the cheaper option but of course, it was not! I got an omelet for $14 and then a small bowl of fruit for $8. Fruit for $8 is a joke. I was fuming. I do not recommend. 

Other fun things to do that we did not have time for: 

• In N Out
• Petco Park Stadium 
• San Diego Zoo 
• Balboa Park 

This was a summer of realization. I was interning at Hilton in their Global Headquarters in the outskirts of Washington, DC. Initially, I was very excited because I always wanted to work in hospitality but the location was a little disappointing. I always had this dream of interning in New York City.

After such an amazing summer away from home, I would love to explore other options aside from New York. I had an amazing summer at Hilton and am trying to navigate looking at other cities for opportunities! One day I will make it back to NY and be able to afford to live on my own!

One week from today I woke up for the last time in Duomo 7 apartment. So many memories were made there that I will remember for a lifetime. From the pregames to the charcuterie parties to the potluck dinners. It is sad to say that now it is just a memory.

People always say that going abroad for three and a half months is the best time of your life. I never knew if I should believe them. For my case, it was. I think not going in with expectations really helped me, which is definitely not like me. I met people I never thought I would have met. I did things I never thought I would do. I succeeded in making my "goal friends" become actual best friends.

I learned more about myself than I ever thought I would.

I was able to conquer my fear of heights: paragliding in Switzerland, ziplining in Croatia and taking a single rider chairlift to the top of Capri.

Another thing I learned about myself is that I am extremely extroverted. I mean, I always knew I was, but once I went abroad I would never really shut up. I am sure my friends could attest to this. One of the things I wanted to hold myself accountable for was being able to travel alone. I did not do this. I personally would have had a terrible time if I did. I get so much of my energy being around my friends.

Further, I learned that I am very capable of going with the flow when it comes to planning trips. Yes, I would like some things to be planned but I have realized that I am up for spontaneous adventures.  I remember being with Taylor in Switzerland and we looked at each other and had no idea what to do next. Next thing you know, we came across a skiing and snowboarding competition in the mountains. This never would have happened if we had a plan for the day.

Lastly, I learned that you really have one life to live and you should never waste a dull moment. All that I worked for from my past summers and on-campus jobs went all to good use. I wouldn't change anything about my experience (well, maybe except for being robbed).

Thank you to my parents who allowed me to study abroad. Thank you to AEF for helping me integrate and learn about the Italian culture. And finally, thank you to the 38 individuals on my program who were such a light in my abroad experience.